▲ The four accused students, An Dre, Kang Su-hyeon, Shin Jung-wook, and Jo Yoon-gi, are about to deliver the request for elucidation to President Han Tae-sik (Bogwang).
/Photograph by Im Chae-hyun

   A press conference regarding the doubt about President Han Tae-sik’s (Bogwang) misappropriation of education expenditures for school was held in front of the Main Hall, on August 31st, at 11:00 A.M. Students from the General Student Council (GSC) of both Seoul and Gyeongju Campuses, the General Student Council of Graduate School and the Dongguk Promotion Committee for the Future (DPC) demanded President Han to give an explanation about his actions.

   The students claimed that the misappropriation occurred on March 21st, 2015, when President Han sued four students (An Dre, the chairperson of the GSC of Seoul Campus, Kang Su-hyeon, the chairperson of the GSC of Gyeongju Campus, Shin Jung-wook, the chairperson of the GSC of Graduate School and Jo Yoon-gi, a member of the DPC) in charge of reputation damage. According to the tax calculation sheet of Dongguk University, the expense for the accusation, which is 5,500,000 won, was charged with the school’s budget. This means the tuition fee paid by Dongguk University students was used for President Han’s personal matter.

   Jo Seung-woo, the vice chairperson of the GSC, expressed his thoughts about the issue. He said, “5,500,000 won may not seem like a big price. Nevertheless, if President Han spent this money on the school facilities, students studying at the Myeongjin Hall will not struggle to climb up stairs to reach the bathroom and the faculty of Gyeongju Campus would not have to plant grass by hand to make a grass schoolyard.”

   Shortly after the press conference, the students marched to the Main Hall to meet President Han in person to deliver the request for elucidation. However, they were held back by the Office of Student Service and were forbidden to enter the Main Hall.

   Later on, the school gave out an elucidation to settle the controversy which reads, “What the four students had damaged was not only the reputation of the President Han but also that of Dongguk University. President Han was registered as the accuser since he was the representative of Dongguk University. Therefore, it was a legal expenditure for the needs of the school.”

Im Chae-hyun  guina99@dongguk.edu

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